Tie-plate and rail-fastener for railways.



R. H. BITTER & D. G. STEPHENSON.

TIE PLATE AND RAIL FASTBNER FOR RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED MAE.3,191Q.

Patented Sept. 2, 1913.

tlNlTEfi @TATES PATENT til l iltjl l,

REUBEN H. BITTER AND DAVID C. STEPHENSON, 0F TOLEDO, OHIO.

TIE-PLATE AND RAIL-FASTENER FOR RAILWAYS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

iat en't ed Sept. 2, .l 9.13.

Application filed March 3, 1913. Serial No. 751,665.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, llnunm: ll. llrcrin: and Davin C. STEPHENS-UN, citizens of the United States, and residents of Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful lmprovemcnts in Tie-Plates and ltail-l asteners for Railways, of which the :t'ollmving is a specification.

Our invention relates to a tie plat and rail fasteners therefor, for railways, and has for its object to provide a plate and complementary fastenings of the kind, of simple and. economical construction, that are together adapted to support and secure a rail on the ties without spikes engaging the rail flanges, and in such manner that the rail is braced against spreading and tipping and secured against creeping or running on the ties, and whereby the rail is readily attached to and removable from the tie plates without drawing the spikes from the plates and the ties. We accomplish these objects by the construction and COIIllJiIliltlOll of parts, as hereinafter described and illustrated in the drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tie plate constructed in accordance with our invention, with a broken away section of a T rail mounted thereon. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same with the rail. removed. Fig. 3 is a side view of the same. Fig. -il is a similar v'ew with a rail secured thereon. Fig. 5 is a section of Fig. 2 on line m-aa. Fig. (3 is a side View of a shini shown detached. Fig. 7 is a top View of the same. Fig. 8 is an end View of the same. Fig. 9 is a top view of the wedge, and Fig. 10 is an end View of the same.

in the drawings 1 designates a tie plate, constructed in accordance with our invention, and which is preferably an elongated metal casting, of uniform width and thickness, excepting where thickened at the shoulder portions and hereinafter described; the bottom. face 2 being a plane adapting the plate to coincide with the top face of a cross tie, and the top face 3 (excepting the shoulder portions) being parallel with the bottom face. The side edges 4 and a are parallel, the outer end 5 is at right angles to the sides t and 1:, and the inner end (S is at less than a right angle to the side t and at an angle greater than a right angle to the side 4L.

At equal distances from the inner end (3,

diagonally across the plate 1, is provided a shoulder llange 7' that is integral with the plate, and is inclined at: a suitable angle toward the opposite end of the plate, and at intervals is provided with abutments 8 to strengthen its resistance. The opposite outer end portion of the plate, central bctwecn the sides -l. and 4t, and .llush with the end 5, have integral therewith a rail brace t), which is angled toward and partly over the central portion and extends at the top 2) to and underneath the tread 10 of a rail mounted on the central portion of the plate, the brace 5) having integral side webs 11 which at their lower portions are cut away at an angle to receive and engage the top face of the rail base 12, and have their free edge portions 13 extending upward parallel with the web of the rail to their junction with the top portion 9 of the brace.

The outer end portion of the plate 1, on each side of the brace t), and the inner end portion between the abutments 8 of the shoulder T are providedwith the spike holes 14-, by which the plate is secured to a tie by the rail spikes 15 commonly used. To secure a rail to the tie plate thus constructed we provide a shim 16 having a main rectangular body portion 17 that is adapted to rest on the tie plate and engage the inner edge of the rail base, and having end lugs 18, which in such position project downward and engage the sides .l: and a of the plate. The shim 1.6 has a top portion '1!) which is angled to the main portion 17 and adapted to overlap and engage the top face of the rail base. \Ve also provide a wedge 20 having its inner side adapted to shoulder against the shim 1(3 and its outer side beveled coinplcmcntaiy to the inner face of the shoulder 7 and at an angle to its inner face, adapted when the wedge is driven into the space between the shim l6 and the shoulder 7 to wedge the outer edge of the rail base under the webs ll of the rail brace t), and the top portion 9 of the brace under the tread ll) of the rail. The wedge 20 has an integral top portion 20 which is angled to engage the top portion 19 of the shim, whereby when the wedge is driven in between the shoulder 7 and the shim, the wedge also bears down on the top portion of the shim and secures it; against being forced upward. The wedge 20 is provided with a lug 21 at its larger end which receives the blow of the hammer or sledge in driving the wedge, and with a lug 22 on its top side, by which the wedge is driven out, when it is desired to loosen the rail on the tie plate. The tie plate 1 thus constructed is used in pairs for each tie to which it is applied, one plate for each rail, with the braces 9 on the outer sides of the rails, and as many plates are provided at regular intervals for each rail as the location and use and safety of the track requires, it being understood that the intervening ties between those provided with our plates are provided with the plates of the ordinary type used, or such intervening ties are raised high enough to support the rails when the plates are not used.

On a track where the trains run mainly in one direction, the plates are preferably made rights and lefts, and are so applied that the tendency is to tighten the wedges, and on single tracks the plates are so applied that alternate ties on which the plates are used, have the wedges driven in from one direction, and the ties alternating therewith have their wedges driven in the opposite direction, whereby tendency to loosen, if such there be, is balanced. However, we have found that the interposition of the shim 16 between the wedges and the rail, by reason of the shim being prevented by the end lugs 18 from movement with the rail, prevents any loosening of the wedges, and that, by reason of the pressure of the shim against the rail base produced by the wedges, the rail is prevented from creeping or running on the tie under the running pressure of the trains. The spikes used to secure the plates constructed in accordance with our invention not being engaged with the flanges of the rail, there is no wearing and weakening of the spikes by the edges of the rail base, and the rail can be readily removed as occasion requires, by loosening the wedges and without drawing the spikes from the ties. Our tie plate also is adapted to prevent both the tipping and spreading of the rails, since the brace 9 is a direct brace for the tread, which prevents the tipping of the rail, and the spreading of the rails involves the shearing of all the spikes securing the plates to the tie, by the tie plates.

W hat we claim to be new is The combination with a T rail, of a tie plate adapted to support the rail on the tie, said plate having a rail brace integral with one portion adapted to engage the top of the outer side of the rail base and the under side of the rail tread, and an inwardly inclined wedge shoulder integral with and eX- tending diagonally across the opposite end portion, a shim adapted to be shouldered against the inner edge of the rail base and having a top portion adapted to extend over and engage the top face of the inner portion of the rail base, and end lugs adapted to extend downward beside and in engagement with the side edges of the tie plate, and a V wedge having one side adapted to shoulder against the outer face of the shim, and the other side beveled complementary to the inwardly inclined shoulder of the tie plate, said wedge adapted to be driven between the shoulder and the shim and press the shim against and on the inner side of the rail base, and thereby press the upper side of the outer portion of the rail base and the under side of the rail tread against the rail brace.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands at Toledo, Ohio, this 27th day of February, 1913, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

REUBEN H. BITTER; DAVID C. STEPHENSON. In presence of JOHN Q. ADAMS, G. W; COLBY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington,1).0. I 

